Analytics: The Basics

Analytics

If you're reading this, you probably know at least a little – maybe even a lot – about analytics. According to Wikipedia, analytics is "the discovery and communication of meaningful patterns in data." Seems obvious, right? Where the real story with analytics lies, however, is in what you can do with it. Think in terms of possibilities. Opportunities. Discoveries. Made possible by technological advancements in analytics that were never even dreamed of not so very long ago, within your lifetime. So let's explore the topic of analytics together. We'll share insights from the brightest minds in analytics – insights that you can turn into ... well, it's up to you.

Big Data Analytics

As data floods your organization on a daily basis, the question is no longer "What is big data?" Instead, it's "What can we do with the big data we have?" The answer, of course, is integral to the future of your business. And big data analytics opens up the world of the possible. With big data analytics, you can implement data mining, predictive analytics, text mining, forecasting and optimization to explore your options and make the best possible business decisions.

Data Mining

Have you heard the one about the retailer that discovered diapers and beer are often purchased together? What about the telco that can predict your likelihood to switch carriers based on how many of your friends have already switched? These businesses used data mining to uncover completely unexpected insights in their data. What secrets are hiding in your ever-growing data stores? Find out with data mining.

Predictive Analytics

So you’ve embraced the power of collecting and analyzing data. That’s a great first step, but it just scratches the surface. To get the most out of your data, you need to anticipate the future, not just analyze the past.

Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis isn’t just for sports geeks and political pollsters. Every day, statistics plays a critical role in informing public policy and improving human welfare. The field of statistics has grown from sampling populations to analyzing even the biggest of big data sources.

Today’s statisticians are tracking endangered species, improving agricultural processes and predicting the best treatments for complex diseases. There's a lot going on with this influential field and the statistical programming techniques used by today’s statisticians.

Blockchain

What can you store in blockchain besides Bitcoin transactions? Insurance claims, medical records and even voting records can all be stored in blockchain. Simply put, blockchain is a distributed data architecture that stores data and transactions – and validates the accuracy of those transactions by consensus. Learn more about blockchain and how you can analyze blockchain data.

Neural Networks

Neural networks are computer programs designed to imitate how the human brain learns and searches for patterns. Often referred to as artificial neural networks (ANNs), they are ideally suited to solving real-world problems in different fields. Much like a human brain, they can be trained over time to improve their interpretations of data.